Monday, September 10, 2007

Sugar Criminal Rehabilitated

Well, I thought I should post an update to my overly frustrating cop episode of September 1. If you didn't read my last post, the upshot is that I was stopped by a MN state trooper and blindsided by the revelation that my MN driver's license had been canceled due to my failure to provide medical certification for my diabetes - in spite of the fact that the certification was due one month after we moved to IL and I changed my license to IL. My car was towed and I was left without the ability to drive anywhere. Clearly, I had to fight this!

On Tuesday, I contacted the MN Dept of Motor Vehicles and found that I needed to write a letter explaining that I am no longer a Minnesota resident. I faxed the letter in on Tuesday... and on Thursday, as well. On Friday, I got a call from a gal there telling me that the medical unit (who I thought I'd been dealing with all along)wanted me to go to the doctor and get a certification form.

I got the name of the woman in the medical unit and gave her a call. It took some work, but I did get her to understand that the cancellation of my license was an administrative error, not carelessness on my part. When I explained that I am alone in Minnesota with no way to get around other than my car...and that I was legal to drive in 49 states, but not the one I was visiting, it really got through to her. Suddenly, I was her crusade for the day. She had me write a letter to the Chief Evaluator and by 4:00, my driving privileges were reinstated.

I am no longer a sugar criminal. I am legal in all 50 states. Thank Goodness! I still have to fight the citation, but I should be getting a letter from the Chief Evaluator that I can take to the citation judge and get this whole mess resolved. Oh, and the $158.32 I had to cough up to have my perfectly drivable car towed? History. Gone forever.

Gah!

Here are some comments from this post:David said... my son had not ONE but TWO vehicles stolen and the tow and impound charges were $500 on the first, and not worth it on the second. someone STOLE his car and he had to PAY if he wanted to get back what was left. its 2996 again at Sugarloaf Mountain

Ravvy said... Hun, that is some seriously crazy stuff! I just finished reading all your latest updates and I cant believe that you had to go through that! That is intense! I would've been in the back of the patrol car sobbing my head off just because I had no idea! And not to mention how crazy your system is over there - Legal in 49 out of 50 states and you get pinged for a very minor thing in the one you apparently weren't legal in? Not to mention the you have to be legal in a state in order to drive in it? I spose with so many states that would cut back on - ah - stuff? Out of the 7 states we have, and the 6 you can drive to and through all without extra assistance(Tasmania being over some water), we Australians have it pretty easy! Still - blows my mind though! Hope your better today! And at least most of its all fixed [Minus the tow!] Carola